The objection to such a policy was the risk of giving just offense to the Italian government and people by interfering in what was essentially an Italian concern—a problem of internal administration. Such an objection appears to me to rest as a misconception. The Italians might well resent, and would very likely have resented, any interference which took the form of independent relief organizations, with direct pecuniary assistance of individuals. As a matter of fact, the German Red Cross hospital at Syracuse was an organization of this kind and it aroused nothing but enthusiasm. A hospital, however, is not like a distributing agency. What the Italians would have objected to, and rightly, would have been any attempt on the part of foreigners to decide Italian questions; how a given body of men should be employed, where certain orphans should be sent, what families should first be assisted; or to set up independent relief bureaus to which individuals might apply, thus duplicating or confusing the work of the Italians and opening an easy way to imposters. But there could be no objection, and there was none, to selective gifts by foreigners to Italian institutions. Such distributions could not possibly conflict with the official scheme of relief, for all the charitable institutions of every city were under the control of the prefect or of the mayor. Certainly during my experience in Sicily no hint was ever given that gifts to the hospitals, refuges or volunteer committees were less acceptable than gifts to the prefect or the mayor. I think it is safe to assert that neither the _Bayern_ nor any other American relief expedition in Sicily or Calabria has at any time given umbrage to any local authority. The central authorities at Rome, meanwhile, have done everything to assist and encourage the independent American expeditions. The _Bayern_ was organized according to the advice of the government and with its approbation. Mr. Billings, before starting for Sicily to distribute the Massachusetts funds, consulted with several of the Italian ministers, with the head of the Central Committee, and with the President of the Red Cross. Mr. Gay and Mr. Dodge were accompanied on their trip to Calabria by an officer of the General Staff, and were recommended directly by the Ministers of War and of the Navy to the commanding officers of the different stations. The aim of the Americans has never been to act independently of the Italians, but simply to put at the service of the Italians their eyes and brains as well as their money. AMERICAN CONTRIBUTIONS.